The Way of the Gong™

No one picks up an instrument for the first time and produces a fully formed, unique style of playing. Often our first moves are tentative, hesitant, and not quite understood by ourselves. To play Gongs, Bowls, and Bells presents us with unlimited possibilities for sounds, but to the novice, most of these sounds are unknown. And even if they are known, the novice has not yet developed the ear, the sense of touch, the required skills to makes many of the sounds they hear others produce. Michael Bettine (L) & Mike Tamburo (R) finding their own voices So where do you start? There are 2 basic ways to start: 1 - Explore your instruments. Makes sounds, take chances, see what both you and the instrument are capable of. Do this in private so that there is no need to feel embarrassed or inadequate. This is a time of learning. Keep track of the sounds you make and how you made them, because you want to be able to repeat them in the future.  Also keep track of what...